Kuwait’s Emir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah has died on Tuesday. He was 91 years old.

Sheikh Sabah became the emir in January 2006 after holding several ministerial positions, including the post of foreign minister.

In July this year, he travelled to the US for further medical attention after undergoing surgery.

Sheikh Sabah was widely regarded as the architect of modern Kuwait’s foreign policy. He pushed for diplomacy to solve regional issues, such as the continuing boycott of Qatar by four Arab nations, and hosted major donor conferences for war-torn nations including Iraq and Syria.